Hey Sam,
This is also one of my projects that I need to do for the 81 Silver Slug. Change out the Auto Tranny fluid!!!! :lol:
Since you are in Corvallis, does AutoZone carry any of the Redline products??? If not, check w/ some of the local speed shops in the area, is there a Pep Boys (aka Pep Gurls) in the area?? If not, then you may have to resort to the Internet
NOW THEN.......... Here is where things get interesting!!!!!!! :shock:
HOPEFULLY BY NOW, you will have looked at either the Brown Haynes Manual for the 79 - 81 MKI, or possibly the 81 Owners manual, if you still have it???
The 81 A43D Automatic tranny uses TYPE F AUTO TRANNY FLUID!!!! IT DOES NOT use any of the DEXRON varieties of tranny fluid (for example, the 85 A43DE Automatic uses DEXRON II fluid). This is VERY important, someone on the Yahoo list a few months back also had a 81 MKI Automatic, he did a fluid change, but DID NOT check on the tranny fluid requirements!!! Thus he dumped one of the DEXRON varieties in & he had MAJOR tranny slippage. Can't remember if he fixed the problem afterwards or not (he later tried to sell his car). :roll:
Redline DOES sell a TYPE F synthetic fluid, you will need to look for the bottles that say "Racing ATF" on them. This is the ONLY TYPE F fluid that they have.... And to my surprise, the few places in the Seattle area that does sell Redline products, they DON'T carry the Racing ATF fluid, but they have all of the other varieties of Auto tranny fluid in the product line....
One of my Toyota dealers that also deals in aftermarket products (Burien Toyota) and also carries the full Redline Fluids product line, was able to special order several quarts for me.
Now here's the even MORE FUN part!!!!!!!! To do a simple drain & fill on the A43D, it's about 3.5 quarts. That still leave's another 3.5 - 4 quarts still trapped in the torque converter. The best thing to do, is to take it into a repair shop that has one of those power flush machines that will flush out all of the fluid from the tranny, including the stuff that is still inside the torque converter. So basically, you will be replacing ALL of the old petroleum tranny fluid w/ the synthetic. So you will need to allow for the rest of the fluid that is still in the tranny & the torque converter. According to all of the MKI repair manuals that I have, a "dry fill" on the A43D is 6.5 quarts. So I went & ordered 7 quarts of the Racing ATF & "HOPEFULLY" that will be enough for the power flush procedure. Will have to do some checking around.
As for the filter screen, Toyota says that the screen does not need to be replaced, unless it's been damaged. Just rinse it out. Yep, I also thought that the filter screen might also be a "regular maintenance" item as well, but Toyota says no.
And yes, the power flush is worth it, this is the only good way that I know of, to get all of the old petroleum fluid out, so that it does not get mixed up w/ the new synthetic. Just for this reason alone.
If Redline cannot be found anywhere, check & see if Amsoil sells a TYPE F synthetic. Not too familiar w/ their product line (check w/ Dave Anders aka Dave A here on the Forums, he's a authorized Amsoil product dealer). I have yet to find a TYPE F synthetic from Mobil, so I don't think they are going to be of any help.
HTH..... P.S. Check around & see if you can find someone who can give you a price break on the Redline Racing ATF. I still ended up paying $8.00 a quart (times 7)....
